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FLW's Stoke fan pundit wants to see Harry Souttar return amid rumours of Leicester loan exit

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stoke City fans are understandably excited about the prospect of centre-back Harry Souttar returning to the bet365 Stadium ahead of the new season.

The Australian international was with the Potters for just over six years before moving to then-Premier League outfit Leicester City in January 2023 on a five-and-a-half year deal for an initial £15 million, after consistently impressive performances in the Championship and at the 2022 World Cup with his country.

He took to life at the King Power Stadium well, despite relegation to the second-tier in his first season, but found himself as a footnote to Enzo Maresca's plans in the Championship and played just three times in the league last season as the Foxes bounced back to the top-flight.

New boss Steve Cooper has seemingly decided against giving Souttar a chance to prove himself this season, as The Telegraph reporter John Percy has claimed the towering centre-back is set to be loaned out this summer and is being targeted by Stoke, as well as other Championship clubs, including Sheffield United.

Stoke City interest in Harry Souttar welcomed by fan pundit

Souttar was outstanding in defence for the Potters in his three seasons as a regular at the bet365 Stadium, and would seemingly be welcomed back with open arms by all connected with the club as Steven Schumacher looks to guide them to a first top-half finish in the Championship since relegation in 2018.

Stoke are seemingly not the only club after his services though, and while they hold sentimental value for the 25-year-old, a move to a possible promotion-chasing side would likely make more sense for him from Leicester's point of view.

Football League World's Stoke fan pundit Sam Harrison is eager to see Souttar return before the transfer window slams shut, but is sceptical over whether the club can get the deal done amid interest from other clubs.

“I’d absolutely welcome Harry Souttar back to the club, and it looks like it could be a loan move, which for me is the right thing,” Sam told FLW.

“He obviously moved to Leicester from Stoke, and it has been quite an odd one from an outside point of view, but of course I don’t know the full story at Leicester.

“For Stoke, we always knew he was going to move on. We had Nathan Collins move on and Souttar did the same - it was the right thing, both for them and the club being able to cash in.

“(Souttar) is a really good player but for some reason it hasn’t worked out for him, and I feel like him coming back to Stoke, playing in the Championship, would be a key signing for us this summer.

“The recruitment that Stoke have done already, with Viktor Johansson, Ben Gibson and Eric Bocat, those three signings have been really good and a bit more of a statement of intent, and I feel like Harry Souttar coming into a centre-back role that needs filling...it could be an absolutely huge signing.

“It’s ‘How realistic is it? How likely is it to happen? Will he want to go to a team that was in and around the play-offs last season like a Leeds, Norwich or West Brom who are playing really good football?’

“Him coming to Stoke under a project with Schumacher that I’m quite optimistic about, I’d happily see him there, and I feel like something we’ve lost over the last few years is that aerial threat in the box, where from a corner we don’t look a huge amount like we’re going to threaten the goal.

“Michael Rose was probably the one for that last season, but was never really able to get the direction, so for me, having Harry Souttar in the box with the likes of Million Manhoef who can whip a ball in could be a real key asset.

“It’s more a case of how realistic it is. I’d absolutely love Harry Souttar to come to Stoke, it’d be really good to see him back.

“He’s a huge centre-back, and has already had a partnership with Ben Wilmot, but could also build one with Ben Gibson or Rose too.

“Having those four, they’re all different kind of centre-backs, so it could be something that works really well for Schumacher when he’s approaching different games.”

The Australian international is a standout centre-back in the second-tier, hence the reported interest in him from numerous Championship clubs this summer despite his less than ideal time with Leicester last season.

After arriving in the Potteries from Dundee United in 2016, he was able to gain vital experience on loan at Fleetwood Town between 2018 and 2020, then established himself as a key member of Michael O'Neill's side in the 2020/21 season and made 43 appearances as Stoke finished in 14th.

He then began the 2021/22 season in good form with Stoke fifth in the Championship in October, but suffered a season-ending ACL injury whilst playing for Australia in November 2021, which in turn saw the Potters' campaign take a downward spiral.

He returned after a year out prior to the 2022 World Cup, and then impressed on the biggest stage with Australia to earn his move to Leicester amid interest from numerous top-flight sides.

That sort of pedigree is rare in the Championship, particularly for a bottom-half side like Stoke, and Souttar would be a real coup for Steven Schumacher this summer in his quest to push the Potters up the table.

Stoke currently have Ben Wilmot, Ben Gibson and Michael Rose as their senior centre-back options for the campaign ahead, as well as youngsters Jaden Dixon and Freddie Anderson who could be set to be given chances in the first-team after featuring in pre-season, but are unlikely to be trusted to start in the Championship.

There is certainly a need for one more addition at the heart of defence in the coming weeks, and they do not come much better than Souttar in the second-tier, as Stoke fans will know, so the club should make his loan signing a priority as they aim higher in 2024/25.